Histopathological Investigation of Clinically Non-Affected Perilesional Scalp in Alopecias Detected Unexpected Spread of Disease Activities

    August 2014 in “ The Journal of Dermatology ”
    Emiko Watanabe-Okada, Masayuki Amagai, Manabu Ohyama
    Image of study
    TLDR Scalp areas that look normal in people with hair loss may still show signs of disease under a microscope.
    In a 2014 study involving 50 Japanese patients with alopecia, researchers found that 66% of clinically non-affected perilesional scalp specimens exhibited microscopic abnormalities. Among the 16 patients with alopecia areata (AA), 62.5% showed an increased telogen ratio, vellus hair count, and miniaturization. In the 19 scarring alopecia (SA) cases, 26.3% had perifollicular inflammatory cell infiltration. The study suggested that in SA, a treatment area should extend 2-3 cm from the lesion margin, and it provided standard hair pathology values for East Asians. These results demonstrate that disease activity in alopecia may spread beyond visible affected areas, indicating the need for histopathological examination of perilesional scalp regions in the management of hair loss conditions.
    Discuss this study in the Community →

    Research cited in this study

    16 / 16 results

    Related Community Posts Join

    6 / 1000+ results

      community I am a dermatologist with a clinical interest in alopecia. AMA

      in Will treatment work for me? 2 years ago
      In this conversation, 4990 discussed various treatments for hair loss, including oral minoxidil, PRP, transplan, Jak inhibitors, Dutasteride, Finasteride, Olumiant, Ketoconazole, RU58841, microneedling, baricitinib, and CCCA. They recommended scalp biopsies in unclear cases of DUPA, twice weekly to twice daily shampooing for topical minoxidil users, and two sessions spaced one month apart with follow up at month three to determine the effectiveness of PRP treatment.
      Diffuse hair loss and scalp biopsies

      community Diffuse hair loss and scalp biopsies

      in Research  692 upvotes 4 months ago
      Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.

      community My scalp punch biopsy results🤔?

      in Female  9 upvotes 1 year ago
      Female using Rogaine foam for hair loss had scalp punch biopsy, diagnosed with Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA). Doctor recommended starting Spironolactone 50mg.

      community C’est terrible - at my wits end

      in Female  449 upvotes 1 year ago
      A 29-year-old woman is experiencing gradual hair thinning since age 15, suspects Androgenic Alopecia, and has tried 5% minoxidil with little success. She has purchased various hair loss treatments including minoxidil, dutasteride, finasteride, and spironolactone, but is cautious about starting them due to potential interactions with her ADHD medication.

    Related Research

    4 / 4 results